Richard Marx is an American pop rock singer-songwriter who was extremely popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his career, Marx has had an impressive number of chart-topping hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In this article, we will take a closer look at exactly how many #1 hits Richard Marx had over the course of his prolific music career.
In the opening paragraphs, we can quickly answer the question posed in the title – Richard Marx has had a total of 3 #1 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1987 and 1994. His #1 hits were “Hold on to the Nights” in 1988, “Satisfied” in 1989, and “Now and Forever” in 1994.
Now let’s dive deeper into Marx’s chart-topping hits and when they reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Richard Marx’s #1 Billboard Hits
“Hold on to the Nights” – 1988
Richard Marx released “Hold on to the Nights” as the lead single from his debut album in 1987. It was his breakthrough hit, and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated August 13, 1988. It held the top spot for 1 week before being overtaken by Steve Winwood’s “Roll With It”. Some key details about its chart run:
| Release Date: | 1987 |
| Peak Date: | August 13, 1988 |
| Weeks at #1: | 1 |
“Hold on to the Nights” became one of Marx’s signature songs, combining his soulful pop/rock sound with emotional lyrics about longing and lost love. It launched Marx’s career and proved he could deliver chart-topping hits.
“Satisfied” – 1989
The second #1 hit for Richard Marx was “Satisfied”, which reached the Billboard Hot 100 summit on June 3, 1989. It was the lead single from Marx’s second studio album Repeat Offender. Here are some key details about its chart performance:
| Release Date: | 1989 |
| Peak Date: | June 3, 1989 |
| Weeks at #1: | 2 |
“Satisfied” marked Marx’s first multi-week #1 hit, spending 2 weeks at the top. Its smooth R&B grooves and romantic lyrics helped make it another signature hit for Marx. The song’s music video also got heavy rotation on MTV at the time, showing Marx’s star power.
“Now and Forever” – 1994
After a few years without a chart-topper, Richard Marx returned to #1 in 1994 with “Now and Forever” off his fourth studio album Paid Vacation. Here is the info on its Billboard Hot 100 performance:
| Release Date: | 1994 |
| Peak Date: | September 10, 1994 |
| Weeks at #1: | 11 |
“Now and Forever” became Marx’s biggest #1 hit, spending an impressive 11 weeks atop the Hot 100. Its reign at #1 was interrupted for one week in late August by All-4-One’s “I Swear” before returning to #1 and enjoying a continuous run for the remainder of its peak. The romantic ballad exemplified Marx’s knack for writing and delivering beautiful pop love songs.
Summary of Richard Marx’s #1 Hits
To quickly recap, here is a summary of Richard Marx’s 3 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart:
| Song | Peak Date | Weeks at #1 |
|---|---|---|
| “Hold on to the Nights” | August 13, 1988 | 1 |
| “Satisfied” | June 3, 1989 | 2 |
| “Now and Forever” | September 10, 1994 | 11 |
As shown above, Richard Marx achieved 3 #1 singles between 1988 and 1994. His enduring ballad “Now and Forever” was his longest chart-topper, spending 11 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Richard Marx’s Pop Chart Success
Beyond just his 3 songs that reached #1, Richard Marx had great success on the Billboard charts overall between the late 1980s and 1990s. Here is an overview of some of his major accomplishments:
– 7 Top 5 singles on the Billboard Hot 100
– 3 #1 albums on the Billboard 200 album chart
– 25 singles that charted in the Top 40 on the Hot 100
– The artist with most Top 5 hits on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart in history (28 Top 5 AC hits)
Thanks to his soulful, romantic pop sound, Marx dominated both the Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary charts over his peak years. His early success got him branded as a “balladeer” but he had plenty of upbeat pop/rock hits as well. He had the golden touch for writing and recording chart-topping hits from the his late 80s heyday through the 90s.
RIAA Certifications
In addition to having #1 hits, Richard Marx also moved huge numbers of records thanks to his pop success. He has achieved the following U.S. certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) over his career:
– 11 million albums sold
– 7 platinum singles
– 5 platinum albums
– 1 diamond single (“Now and Forever”)
Marx has the honor of having written the first romantic pop song ever certified diamond, which represents over 10 million units moved. The timeless love ballad “Now and Forever” continues to be his most enduring hit and was his biggest chart single based on chart longevity and sales success.
Legacy and Influence
Richard Marx’s run of hitmaking between the late 80s and 90s cemented his status as a pop icon. When he was coming up it was common to hear critics compare new solo artists to Marx based on having a similar romantic balladeer style.
He was a pioneer of the melodic pop/rock and adult contemporary ballad styles that fueled the rise of artists like Michael Bolton in the 90s. Marx’s fusion of pop, rock, R&B, and other genres became a common formula heard in the pop hits of the era.
Beyond his own singing, Marx’s songwriting and production for other artists also gave him massive influence. He penned hits for artists like Luther Vandross, Keith Urban, Kenny Rogers, and NSYNC.
Today, artists like Sam Smith and Charlie Puth continue the pop ballad tradition that Marx helped pioneer and popularize. His layered, soulful pop sound remains instantly recognizable after all these years.
While he doesn’t make the charts these days, Marx’s legacy lives on through the generations of pop singers who emulate his style and the timeless radio classics he created. Based solely on chart success, Richard Marx’s 3 #1 hits and dozens of other pop hits make him one of the most successful solo male artists of the late 20th century pop scene. Not bad for a kid from Chicago who taught himself songwriting and music production as a teenager in the 70s and 80s!
Conclusion
To answer the original question, Richard Marx achieved 3 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during his hitmaking peak between the late 1980s and 1990s. His trio of chart-toppers were “Hold on to the Nights” (1988), “Satisfied” (1989), and “Now and Forever” (1994). The enduring ballad “Now and Forever” was his biggest and longest-running #1 hit, topping the Hot 100 for 11 weeks.
In total, Marx placed an impressive 7 singles in the Top 5 of the Hot 100 and charted over two dozen Top 40 pop hits. Combined with his multi-platinum albums and single certifications, Richard Marx proved himself to be one of the most successful solo pop artists of his time based on commercial performance. His style and songwriting influence can still be heard today in the work of current artists carrying on the pop ballad tradition that Marx helped define and popularize. Though he isn’t churning out #1 hits today, Marx’s steady stream of pop chart-toppers in the late 80s and early 90s remain beloved classics.
